With the advent of direct broadcast satellite receiver systems in the home, proper alignment of a receiving antenna for operation of such receivers has become a concern. FIG. 1 illustrates the basic alignment problem facing the user of a home satellite receiver. An antenna associated with the receiving system must be aligned in azimuth so as to receive a signal broadcast by the satellite. Typically, this alignment is performed by a user who rotates the antenna in azimuth until receiving an indication that an acceptable signal strength is presented to the receiver system. As shown in FIG. 2, as the antenna is rotated in azimuth, there will come a time at which a peak signal strength for a received signal presented from the antenna to the receiver system is achieved. As the antenna is rotated further in azimuth, the signal strength falls off according to the degree of misalignment.
Optimally, a user will adjust the antenna for the home satellite receiving system so that the antenna points in a direction coincident with the peak signal strength. Current home receiver systems employ an integral flashing indicator, for example an LED, at the receiving antenna to assist in this alignment. The LED blinks at a frequency proportional to the received signal strength. Accordingly, the user adjusts the alignment of the antenna until the flashing LED indicates proper alignment. However, the use of this alignment aid seldom results in optimal alignment of the antenna because of problems associated with the granularity of resolution achievable by the flashing LED and the inherent inability of a human user to detect slight variations in the frequency of the flashing light source.
Other home satellite receiver system manufacturers have implemented alignment systems which use audible tones, the frequency of which are proportional to the received signal strength. These methods have the same short comings as the flashing LED approach and, in addition, often require that the receiving dish antenna be within audible range of the user's television set (e.g., because the audible tone is broadcast through the television's speakers). In many cases this is impractical, requiring a means for relaying alignment commands between a user positioned at the television set, and therefore within range of the audible tone, and another user positioned at the antenna.
In would be desirable, therefore, to provide an improved means for optimally aligning an antenna for a home satellite receiver system.